


But For Always

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: One Night In Moscow [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, GFY, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 04:36:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/547687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do you even know what you're getting into, Tony?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	But For Always

"What were you thinking?" The sharp tone of Pepper's voice makes Tony wince, though he doesn't move from where he's working. Not that he's actually focused on the changes he's making to the suit specifications, though he knows he should be.

Behind him, he hears the shift of fabric that he thinks means Ivan's shrugging. Ivan, who's been dismantling Tony's particle accelerator while Tony works and pretends to work while trying to imagine Pepper's reaction to the latest incident over the weekend.

"I was bored."

Tony risks a glance up, and winces again at the glare Pepper is leveling at them before giving her a completely unapologetic shrug. "What he said."

"You have cars and robots to work on when you're bored, Tony." Pepper's glare switches to him, and Tony gives up even pretending to work on the suit. "You could have had your pick of half of Los Angeles if you wanted them."

"Is this because I didn't call you, or because you're jealous? I don't know why you'd be jealous, though, you've had him in your apartment for months..." Tony stops abruptly when Ivan's hand comes to rest on the back of his neck, and holds very still.

"No." Pepper looks over his shoulder a moment, something that Tony still can't quite read passing through her expression. "Do you even know what you're getting into, Tony?" She meets his gaze steadily, holding incredibly still, even for Pepper. It just seems to charge the air with something that Tony can't read yet, and makes him want to fidget, though he doesn't.

"Um. Getting laid on a regular basis again?" There's less confidence in the flippant question than Tony had intended, and he can see the disappointment in Pepper's expression. "Tell me, Pepper."

"Ivan should have." Pepper spares a moment to give Ivan an irritated look, which only gets a small chuckle out of the man. "What did you agree to, Tony?"

Tony shrugs, reaching up to try to get Ivan to let go of his neck. It's starting to irritate him, and when that doesn't work, he pushes to his feet, and takes a couple steps away and partway around the workbench. "Ivan took me up on an offer I made. Sorta."

"An offer you only made in jest? Or that Ivan didn't take you up on the exact offer you made?" Pepper waits patiently for his reply, still holding almost completely still. It's bothering Tony, and makes him want to pace.

"I wasn't joking when I said he could have me if he left you alone." Tony meets her eyes easily, not about to apologize for trying to get Ivan away from her. "He came over, and he asked if I still wanted to leave that offer open."

Pepper closes her eyes, audibly drawing in a breath. "And you said yes." She opens her eyes again, looking between them a moment. "Did you bother to ask what he wanted to get out of this?"

"No." Tony frowns, puzzled, and winces a third time at the glare Pepper gives him. "I should have?" He glances at Ivan, and notices the smirk on the man's face, which makes him frown again, irritated.

"Not for a night, but for always." Ivan's voice is low and amused, his arms crossed across his chest. "Like Moscow."

Pepper narrows her eyes, giving Ivan a sharp look. "Not exactly like Moscow. Not with three." There's more to it, hidden in the simple reference, and Tony scowls at both of them.

"What is is about Moscow that's important here?" Tony looks at Pepper, since he'd asked Ivan before, and not gotten an answer other than to ask Pepper.

There's silence for a long moment, something passing between Ivan and Pepper that Tony can't read, and then Pepper moves forward, bringing her hands up to rest them on the workbench. "I was barely eighteen, just graduated from high school. A group of us, friends, were planning to travel all over Europe that summer before going to college. We were in Moscow near the end of June, and I met Ivan in a bar."

Her voice is steady, and just loud enough for Tony to hear. Not shame or fear, but the quiet of respect. He thinks. Or something.

"I invited him back to my hotel room two nights later. I didn't leave Moscow until the middle of August, while most of my friends went elsewhere on the trip. Most of that time was spent with Ivan, and often..." she trailed off, a thoughtful frown on her face as she considered her words. Tony didn't press, not entirely sure she'd actually finish if he did. "I let him have control over me. Because I wanted to, and because it was an incredible feeling, even then." When she'd not had much power all her own in her life, though she'd been trusted to make her own decisions since she was fourteen.

Tony isn't sure he can imagine Pepper being anything less than in control - though he knows he's told her to do things for him, as his assistant, and she's gotten them done, but he's never thought of her as any less in control for it. "And you still let him, now?"

She looks over at him, an amused smile curving her lips. "Not always, but sometimes." She returns her gaze to Ivan, though her words are still directed at Tony. "Although it hasn't been as well discussed as the arrangement I had in college. Or as well discussed as this will have to be."

"He offered." Ivan shrugs, and Tony frowns a moment. "Doesn't like being bitch."

"Hey! Just because I'm not going to give you a blow-job doesn't mean you get to call me names. And you could have come up with something more interesting than 'bitch'." Tony hides the real anger under a glib tone and flippant words, but he's not sure what he's actually angry about. He's been called worse before, without it bothering him, so why did those particular words cut?

"It has to do with more than just a particular sex-act, Tony." Pepper is giving Ivan a narrow-eyed look that doesn't bode well for him. "It's about power and control, and giving that up." She steps away from the workbench, glancing at him a moment before she heads for the door. "And it's not a conversation for down here."


End file.
